ES2932901B2 - Tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods and method for simultaneous use in exhibition areas - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods and method for simultaneous use in exhibition areas Field of the invention

This invention concerns a tabletop machine for intelligent weighing of a plurality of packaged processed foods used and displayed simultaneously. More specifically, it refers to those employed in the hospitality sector, nursing homes and/or minors; or in buffet-type restaurant chains or fast food chains in which the food is exposed for long periods of time, through trays, to the environmental conditions and being in the order of 40 and 60 trays containing the processed food (cooked or with the cut or processed raw material) shown to the user or diner simultaneously. The machine of the invention is mainly structured in a scale, an acoustic alarm, a camera, a controller, an identification code reader, a user interface, an Artificial Intelligence software module and a tag printer that allows; mainly to control the healthiness time and exposure time of each packaged food particularly in each case, and also allows the automatic assignment of the most appropriate position in the display area, and facilitation of location of the processed food packaged in a specific position in the exhibition area of buffet-type catering rooms or fast food food chains, etc. in order to achieve a reduction in time and errors derived from the placement and removal of said trays by operators manually. It should be taken into account that in the exhibition area of a hotel, for example, there may be around 50 trays with processed food on display, and these exhibition rooms also have different areas depending on the temperature at which the product is kept. food; cold areas, hot areas and room temperature, or depending on the type of product; areas for lactose-free products, areas for low-salt products, areas for gluten-free products, etc. Therefore, the correct assignment of the position in the exhibition area is essential to keep the food with better appearance and health and avoid an allergy or poor treatment of the product due to a poor location. It not only allows the process to be automated as much as possible but also guarantees the healthiness of the food and the health of the most delicate diners such as those who are sick or allergic. Using this machine, it is also possible to determine the consumption time of each tray of food and thus predict the preparation time based on the volume of food that must be served throughout the entire service day and/or work weeks. saving costs and reducing waste, as well as allowing the preparation time of each food tray to be determined, avoiding bottlenecks or lack of supplies in the showroom during the service or period in which the trayed food is available to the diner. On the other hand, in the field of food it is essential to guarantee correct healthiness of the food in the exhibition area, so it is very necessary to determine its condition, which deteriorates over time, and thus prevent it from becoming in unhealthy foods. Even more so in situations in which the display of a wide plurality of food-containing trays is required simultaneously, such as in hotel chains, social events, fairs, etc. or in scenarios where food supply to a large number of people is required. number of diners with extreme care in handling food and its healthiness, such as in the food services of hospitals, schools, nursing homes and/or children and in which the different foods must be controlled with great care at the needs of that community. For this reason, the desktop weighing and discrimination machine designed has also been designed to discriminate the exposure time of each food tray depending on the type of food, guaranteeing the healthiness of the food trays and ensuring the highest quality and presentation of each recipe. or food product displayed in the room. Therefore, with the present invention, optimal and safe automation is achieved in the control of the exposure time of each packaged processed food, avoiding the proliferation of bacteria, or by reusing the food already displayed in the room without knowing its assignment with a new exposure, or due to lack of control or error in the timely removal of trays by kitchen workers. Consequently, it is possible to avoid food poisoning for users, as a result of eating food in poor condition, in the process of deterioration or contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins, such as salmonella, listeria, norovirus, E-coli, etc. Therefore, having a desktop weighing and discrimination machine capable of controlling the sanitation and exposure times of each food tray, automatically assigning a position in the room, facilitating its location, calculating the weight of the food leaving and returning. After exposure in the room, calculate the consumption time with a forecast of the calculation of the preparation time and therefore the optimization of the use of food is necessary to guarantee the healthiness and control of a plurality of processed foods packaged for use exposed simultaneously.

Prior art state

In the current state of the art, weighing systems linked to cooking ovens or food processing systems are known, used in professional kitchens, to record the evolution of the weight loss of a single food since its cooking is prepared. until its completion, incorporating cameras to take photographs of the food product during its cooking with food recognition systems and temperature sensors or probes inserted inside the food to track the degree of cooking at which it is, and display screens. visualization and classification in a database in which the most representative characteristics of the specific product are analyzed, such as its degree of roasting. With these elements, control and supervision of the method of preparation and the external aesthetic characteristics of the food are achieved, however these control systems are established within the professional kitchen itself without having the possibility of controlling a large variety of foods. simultaneously and exposure times once it leaves the kitchen and is established in the exhibition areas, which is necessary to comply with the established health regulations and ensure that the plurality of foods on display are in optimal health conditions before being ingested by diners. Also known are drying scales with weighing systems that heat and dry a unit food sample arranged on the weighing plate that has a temperature sensor establishing the weight loss or loss per unit of time and the humidity of the sample. . However, they do not have cameras for taking photographs and/or videos or automatic food recognition systems or classification of the food and its particular container, nor do they have a method of control and supervision of this during their service in the room or places of storage. food display such as a buffet or fast food service in which a plurality of food products are on trays simultaneously. Additionally, systems for monitoring food waste are known that include a weighing mechanism configured to weigh a waste container, which receives food waste from a plurality of consecutive disposal events (plates or trays) before emptying the container. of waste by recording the calculated value of the weight of each disposal event. None of the above solutions is applicable to catering and/or buffet systems in which there is no continuity of stools or desired food, nor do they allow us to know more accurately the health characteristics of the food after a period of time, nor to predict its Temporary preparation based on the type of food and its consumption time, nor do they allow automatic recognition of the food, without manual selection by the user through the interface, nor do they identify its container. Currently, in exhibition halls or in large community environments such as amusement park restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. there is a large influx of users (approximately 1000-2000) throughout an entire day of service and with approximately 40-100 trays with processed food exposed and with different dimensions. However, the control or discrimination system used today to determine the exposure time and/or the healthiness time of each food display tray is completely manual. Thus, the kitchen or dining room operator removes the tray when the food has run out, or when he sees a poor appearance of the product or when in his mental calculation he estimates that a certain healthiness time has been exceeded. To do this, it has its memory and senses as the only tool, which leads to the commission of serious errors since managing a high number of different trays is almost impossible for an operator.

Likewise, the determination of the consumption necessary to supply the buffet or fast food display is left to the attention and memory of the kitchen and front-of-house workers, and only when they observe that the food on a tray is about to run out. They warn cooks to make more food. This current methodology means making numerous mistakes, excess food waste, a greater risk to health, as well as having to work in the kitchen with great stress as there is no system for predicting consumption time that also allows the preparation of the food in advance. The known weighing systems do not have a system for weighing and discriminating a plurality of foods packed simultaneously, their exposure time, position assignment and location in the room. Nor do they foresee a weighing machine capable of determining, based on previous records obtained by itself through neural self-learning, the consumption time and warning kitchen professionals so that they have enough time to prepare the food consumed. Therefore, it is essential to have a system that distinguishes from each food tray the essential information of the food (healthiness time, output weight, input weight) and the tray (tray type, tray weight) and guarantees the control in the exposure of the food from its preparation or regeneration in the kitchen until the end of the food's healthiness time in the exhibition room, as well as recording the exposure time and location of the packaged product for correct removal in time before the end of the healthiness of the food and allowing to foresee and anticipate the preparation of more food to cover the needs of the diners by being able to know the expected consumption by having recorded the departure weight and the return weight of each food.

Explanation of the invention and advantages

Compared to the state of the art described above, the purpose of the present invention is a tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of processed foods in trays for simultaneous use in exhibition areas, which comprises; a scale, an acoustic alarm, a camera that captures the image of each packaged processed food, both of which are in communication with a controller that consists of an identification code reader, a user interface and an Artificial Intelligence software module configured to receive the image of each packaged processed food captured from the camera and automatically recognized; each processed food, its container tray, calculate the output weight of the processed food, the weight of each container tray, the healthiness time of each processed food and the processing time, consumption time and exposure time of each food processed tray and the return weight of the processed food, and the controller being in communication with a tag printer that prints each identification tag that includes an identification code with the visible alphanumeric code of each processed food tray and which is assigned by the controller. Firstly, in order to specify the concepts used in the present invention, it is indicated that, when referring to:

a) Healthy time refers to the particular time each food has before it begins to deteriorate and is no longer safe for consumption. Food regulations establish it at a general level at 4 hours for any product, but in this invention and through this method it can be determined for each food tray.

b) Consumption time refers to the time it takes to finish or consume the food product displayed at the stand in the exhibitor area.

c) Exposure time of the packaged processed food refers to the shortest time, determined by the Artificial Intelligence software module, between the consumption time and the healthiness time of the processed food and subtracting the processing time of each packaged processed food. .

d) Preparation time of packaged processed food refers to the time required by a kitchen employee to prepare each packaged processed food.

Thanks to the configuration of the invention, on the one hand, the automatic identification of each packaged processed food is achieved, which is decisive since in the hospitality sector and large food chains, more than 3000 different ingredients or basic foods are processed simultaneously and On the other hand, very diverse container trays for processed food are used, these may be: metallic, ceramic, wooden, large or low volume, among others. In addition, with this machine, the automatic determination of the healthiness time of each packaged processed food located simultaneously in the exhibition area is carried out, ensuring the correct aesthetic appearance of the processed food and avoiding the proliferation of bacteria due to the passage of time. This allocation of sanitation time particularly ensures better sanitation and appearance of each food. It must be taken into account that there are foods that, due to their own characteristics, their exposure times have to be shorter than the usual ones applied by regulations (usually 4 hours) due to the rapid oxidation they undergo. For example they are: raw crustaceans or mollusks, raw oysters, tortillas, avocados or chopped pieces of fruit that, when in contact with oxygen, degrade their phenolic compounds, reducing the antioxidant capacity, resulting in the loss of vitamins, such as vitamin C, and causing the loss of nutritional properties, or whose aesthetic appearance becomes unpleasant, rusty, and unappetizing to the diner in a short time, and even endangering their health due to the ingestion of food in poor condition. Another example of a greater need for control and with shorter periods of exposure to processed food occurs in the settings of hospitals, nursing homes or children's homes in which shorter sanitation times than indicated in health regulations are required (4 hours) because they are diners with a more delicate immune system. Therefore, with the configuration of the present invention it is possible to calculate automatically; the health and exposure time based on the possible scenarios and the type of food and the determination of the correct position in the exhibition area (buffet or fast food display) based on the needs of the food in relation to; temperature, humidity, special location, such as gluten-free, lactose-free, low-salt foods, designed for intolerant or allergic users. On the other hand, with the weighing machine of this invention, the consumption and processing times of each packaged processed food are determined by analyzing previous records of the output weights and return weight of the processed food, which is essential for that at no time during the service period are there any missing processed foods packed in the display area and ensure that the food service is continuous without stress in the kitchen that prevents correct supply. This achieves the optimization and streamlining of food production processes, reduction of waste and therefore costs in the purchase of raw materials and elimination of bottlenecks. Another characteristic advantage of this invention is the use of a tag printer by which identification tags are printed, which are placed on the tray containing the packaged processed food and which contain visible alphanumeric identification codes and barcodes, QR, RFID that identify both the packaged processed food and its container tray and determine its location in the exhibition room for each tray, avoiding errors and improving its rapid identification and correct adaptation in the exhibition area. Another advantageous characteristic aspect of this invention is that by means of identification thanks to the identification codes and visible alphanumeric codes of the identification tag printed by the tag printer and by the calculation of the weight thanks to the scale, it is possible to compute and know the weight of output of the packaged processed food, which is the net weight of the processed food in the kitchen to obtain, when the container tray returns to the kitchen and the tag is read by the code reader, the return weight of the packaged processed food and thus determine by recording of several trays the consumption time of each food. With this, it is possible to have a study of the demand for food by diners, indicating to kitchen employees the need to cook a greater or lesser amount of food, improving the efficiency of the service, reducing the amounts of wasted food and minimizing expenses. unnecessary in purchasing raw materials. Through the visible alphanumeric codes of the identification codes of the identification tags, a quick location of the processed food in the tray is allowed by the operator in the room, who will locate tray “1A”, for example, to determine a concrete placed in the area. of exposition. It is also anticipated that this alphanumeric code contains more than one digit, with the additional digits corresponding to the location of the aisle, section and/or position of the section. Thanks to this visible alphanumeric code, the location of the processed food packaged in the different stands in the exhibition area is unequivocally determined. Thus, when returning the packaged food to the kitchen, the returned weight of the food can be known after reading the identification tags through the identification code reader and also know the time of return of the processed food packaged inside the kitchen. With these records stored in the memory of the controller's Artificial Intelligence software, the consumption times based on weight, the exposure times are known, and a correct food supply is achieved, the automation of the control of the exposure time and automation of the preparation times and the temporal control of the unconsumed food as well as its remaining useful life and the almost automation of the location of the container tray in the display room, avoiding identification errors and guaranteeing at all times the healthiness of a plurality of processed foods boxes located simultaneously in the exhibition area. Furthermore, because the desktop weighing and discrimination machine of this invention comprises an Artificial Intelligence software module, verification is achieved that the packaged processed food contains all the ingredients or raw materials of the recipe stored in the controller, indicating to the kitchen employee the lack of any of these ingredients and may add the missing ingredients before displaying the processed food in the display area. Thanks to the use of an acoustic alarm in the configuration of this machine, the employee is informed through sound stimuli of the need to remove the trayed food located in the display area due to the fact that the processed food has run out or due to its time limit. The exhibition period has ended, guaranteeing its healthiness and correct appearance and the food safety of the diners and with the necessary temporal precision to be able to prepare a new tray of food. Another advantageous characteristic aspect of this invention is that the controller consists of a user interface configured to display a visual scale indicator through a plurality of images of each processed food packaged simultaneously, the visible alphanumeric code indicating the position of the exhibition area, the time to elapse so that the return weight of the processed food is equal to 0 and the processing time of the packaged processed food. This allows the kitchen to know the status of a plurality of processed foods packed simultaneously and thus, with a single glance at the interface the user can determine; the processing time and the remaining exposure time of the packaged processed food. All the information required by the user can be adapted to their needs, that is, the information displayed in the user interface is customizable by the user, such as, for example, the delivery times of each packaged processed food can be included so that in In the case of a food inspection, the kitchen operator can provide information on the output of the processed food. On the other hand, the user interface is expected to show on the right side the packaged processed foods that are ready to be removed from the display area and thereby notify the employee to take the appropriate action. Thanks to this, agility is achieved in the kitchen, automation of the control process of the container trays, eliminating the need for manual selection of each tray and thus achieving optimal traceability of the entire process, as well as anticipation of the need for food preparation. On the other hand, it makes it easier for the kitchen employee to know the location of each container tray by observing its position in the room on the interface. In this way, a continuous and fluid food service is guaranteed throughout the entire service and the establishment of a preventive supply plan without the need to prepare excess products and a correct removal of trays that exceed their shelf life. and/or already consumed.

Another characteristic advantage of the desktop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods is that if the exposure time of each packaged processed food is equal to 0, the acoustic alarm of the controller and the flashing alarm of the user interface are activated. . Due to this, it is possible to notify the kitchen employee of the need to remove the specific processed product trayed in a plurality room, which will proceed with a quick removal and without error or confusion, since it will observe the position occupied by the tray in the exhibition area at the interface. That is, through an acoustic and visual stimulus, the removal and replacement of the container tray is achieved quickly and efficiently, avoiding food shortages in the exhibition area and guaranteeing the correct appearance and healthiness of the food, even the more delicate products, and the optimization of times in the workflow during service.

Another advantageous feature notable in this invention is that the controller is in communication with a portable device consisting of an acoustic alarm, a light alarm and a vibrator. This ensures that the room staff, without leaving their workplace, is in continuous communication with the kitchen staff without having to travel to the kitchen. Therefore, it is facilitated to have a good knowledge of the status of the trays with food during the operational service, even in cases with a shortage of staff in the room and guaranteeing continuous attention to the diners by supplying the display room at all times and streamlining the demand in all cases.

Another beneficial aspect characteristic of this invention is that it is provided that the controller is in communication with at least one auxiliary camera located in the exhibition area on at least one stand of the exhibitor area and in communication with at least one auxiliary acoustic alarm of the area. of exposition. This communication can be: wireless such as WPAN, WLAN, WMAN, WWAN which are based on Bluetooth, Wifi, RFID, etc., or through direct wiring between the auxiliary camera and the auxiliary acoustic alarm and the booth in the exhibitor area. Thanks to this, in the kitchen you can observe the appearance, quantity or weight of the food and automatically recognize the processed food and its tray by the Artificial Intelligence software module, based on the image captured by auxiliary cameras at every moment and throughout the service. of meals without moving the tray to the kitchen. Therefore, it is possible to know at all times the status of the processed foods packaged simultaneously located in the stands in the exhibitor area, in addition to being able to indicate by means of the acoustic alarm of the auxiliary chambers the need to remove the container trays, obtaining greater agility. throughout the service and being of special interest in restaurant areas with few workers. Due to the use of this auxiliary camera, additional information is obtained at each moment on the amount of processed food remaining in each container tray exposed in the exhibition area, thus achieving a corrective process, that is, the consumption time data stored in The controller's history is updated periodically, obtaining continuous and more precise learning from the Artificial Intelligence software module, and thus achieving a more accurate forecast of when the processed food will run out in order to replace it with greater anticipation.

Compared to the state of the art described above, the present invention also has as its object a method for the use of the tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of processed foods in trays for simultaneous use in exhibition areas that contain; a scale, an acoustic alarm, a camera, a controller, an identification code reader, a user interface, an Artificial Intelligence software module and a tag printer, in which said method comprises the steps of; capture of the image of the processed food trayed on the scale by the camera, automatic recognition through the Artificial Intelligence software module of the processed food controller, automatic selection through the Artificial Intelligence software module of the processed food with the greatest coincidence of percentages of generic foods stored, weighing the packaged processed food using the scale, automatic selection using the Artificial Intelligence software module of the containing tray, calculation using the Artificial Intelligence software module of the output weight of the processed food and the weight of the containing tray, assignment using the Artificial Intelligence software module of the healthiness time of the processed food and time registration, assignment through the Artificial Intelligence software module of the consumption time, processing time and exposure time of the processed food in trays, assignment through the software module of Artificial Intelligence of the visible alphanumeric code of the position in the exhibitor area, printing of the identifying tag container of the identification code of processed food, container tray and processed food packaged with the visible alphanumeric code indicative of the position in the exhibitor area using the printer tags, incorporation of the identification tag to the packaged processed food, placement of the packaged processed food in the display area at the assigned display area stand, activation of the acoustic alarm of the controller and the flashing alarm of the user interface when the exposure of the packaged processed food is equal to 0 and return of the packaged processed food to the intelligent weighing tabletop machine.

With the advantageous method of the invention, in the first stage of the method, the image of the processed food trayed on the scale is captured by means of the camera. Thanks to this, in the following stages of this method, the Artificial Intelligence software module of the controller is capable of recognizing and selecting the processed food with the greatest coincidence of percentages of generic foods stored in the records of the software module of the Artificial Intelligence module.

Once the processed food is selected, the processed food in a tray is weighed using the scale so that in the following stages of this method, the container tray used is automatically selected through automatic recognition of the Artificial Intelligence software module of the controller and the weight is thus calculated. output of the processed food and the weight of the container tray using the Artificial Intelligence software module by subtracting the weight of the container tray from the weight of the processed food in the tray. Thus, automation of the determination of the weight of the food and the container tray is achieved, avoiding adding an additional step of first weighing the food and then the container tray.

With this information, the Artificial Intelligence software module is assigned, based on preset parameters for each processed food, the healthiness time of the processed food, which is the time the food has before it begins to deteriorate or be aesthetically unappealing. and is identified based on preset parameters and recording the time in the Artificial Intelligence software module in which the processed food is ready to go on display, the consumption time, which is the time it takes to finish the trayed food displayed in the position of the display area and which varies depending on the volume of the tray and influx, the preparation time, which is the time required by a kitchen employee to prepare said packaged food, and the display time of the packaged processed food, which is the shorter duration, determined by the Artificial Intelligence software module, between the consumption time and the healthiness time of the processed food and subtracting the preparation time of each packaged processed food, and thus the tag is printed using the tag printer. identification, which contains; the identification code of processed food, container tray and packaged processed food, which can be a bar code, QR code, RFID and the visible alphanumeric code indicative of the position in the exhibitor area and the tray number using the tag printer. With this, it is possible to automate, without room for errors and in an agile way, the assignment of the position in the display area based on the characteristics of the processed food. In addition, having an automated record of the times of health, processing, consumption and exposure to control at all times the health, appearance and the need to replace and prepare a greater amount of food.

Once the identification tag has been printed, it is incorporated into the packaged processed food so that a room employee then places the packaged processed food in the exhibition area in the assigned position in the display area, avoiding its placement in display areas with conditions that do not correspond or are incorrect for that processed food, for example relative to temperature and/or humidity that influence the healthiness of the processed food, or that influence its appearance, or an unsuitable location.

When the controller registers that the exposure time of the trayed processed food is equal to zero, the controller's acoustic alarm and the user interface's flashing alarm will be activated, alerting the room employee to remove the container tray with the processed food from the station. from the display area for subsequent return to the desktop weighing and discrimination machine, thus obtaining removal on time and without error in the choice between numerous container trays existing in the exhibition area (around 50) and avoiding ingestion by diners of foods in the process of deterioration and removing the container trays in which their processed food was about to run out, ensuring at all times that in the exhibition area there are processed foods packed in abundance, with good appearance and correct health for consumption.

An advantageous characteristic of this method is that in the stage of recognition of the processed food and its containing tray by the controller's Artificial Intelligence software module, it contains the substages of; capture of the image of the scale by the camera, simplification by reducing the size of the image of the scale and the image of the packaged processed food, pixel-by-pixel comparison of the simplified image of the scale with the simplified image of the processed food packaging, calculation and selection of the change area where modifications have occurred, transfer of the change area to the Artificial Intelligence software module, extraction of characteristics and patterns and conversion to percentages of generic foods extracted, comparison of the percentages of generic foods extracted with percentages of stored generic foods and automatic selection using the Artificial Intelligence software module of stored generic foods.

Thanks to the reduction of the image of the scale and the image of the processed food in the tray, their simplification is achieved by eliminating small variations caused by brightness or shadows during their capture by the camera, achieving greater clarity in the images.

With the latter, it is easier to carry out the next substage of the method, saving computational cost and avoiding comparison errors, in which the simplified image of the scale is compared pixel by pixel with the simplified image of the processed food in a tray.

The next substage of the method is the calculation and selection of the area of changes where modifications have occurred so that, in the next substage, which is to transfer the area of changes to the Artificial Intelligence software module, it extracts the characteristics and patterns of the history of the controller for subsequent conversion to percentages of generic foods extracted at another time of use. Thanks to these substages, percentages of extracted generic foods (lettuce, tomato, rice, corn, pods, etc.) are achieved in a reliable, optimal and fast way with the minimum possible computational cost, being able to determine by the Artificial Intelligence software module from processed foods such as cut vegetables or more elaborate products such as chicken with vegetables.

After the extraction and conversion of this information, the percentages of generic foods extracted are compared with percentages of generic foods stored in previous recognitions (cesar salad, pork belly in sauce, etc.) for the automatic selection of the stored generic food with characteristics and patterns of greater coincidence. With all these substeps of the method of this invention, the identification of the stored generic food is achieved correctly and is carried out optimally among more than approximately 3100 ingredients.

Another advantageous characteristic aspect of the method for using the tabletop weighing and discrimination machine for a plurality of packaged processed foods is that the step of returning the packaged processed food to the tabletop weighing and discrimination machine comprises the substeps of; placing the processed food in a tray on the scale, reading its identification tag and selecting the container tray and calculating the return weight of the processed food and recording the time. Thanks to the placement of the processed food in a tray on the scale, it is possible to quickly read its identification tag, achieving the automatic selection of the container tray for replacement and the calculation of the return weight of the processed food, since in the software module Artificial Intelligence has recorded the specific container tray used and its weight, the initial weight of the food and the time of return to the kitchen.

An additional characteristic advantage of this method is that the consumption time of the packaged processed food is calculated by the Artificial Intelligence software module of each packaged processed food in relation to the subtraction of the output weight and the return weight of the processed food and the time elapsed from leaving the kitchen to the exhibition area until returning to the kitchen. By calculating the consumption time, costs are saved and waste is reduced, reducing the risks of bottlenecks or lack of supplies in the showroom during the service or period in which the packaged food is available to the diner since it is Get a forecast of the volume of food that must be served throughout the entire service day and/or work weeks.

Another characteristic advantage of this method is that the exposure time of the packaged processed food is calculated by the Artificial Intelligence software module by selecting the shortest time between the consumption time and the healthiness time of the processed food and subtracting the processing time. of each packaged processed food. Thus, the timely removal of the packaged processed food is achieved before it loses its healthiness and good appearance, guaranteeing the safe intake of the processed food by diners and that there is always packaged processed food in the exhibition area, ensuring that when The packaged processed food is removed, due to loss of healthiness or deterioration in the aesthetic aspect or because it is close to complete consumption, immediately afterwards the same packaged processed food will be replaced in the exhibition area, guaranteeing continuous service at all times, since the kitchen has been anticipated and warned about the need to prepare more product prior to the end of the food in the container tray.

In the event that the room operators have portable elements, they will activate their warning elements; acoustic, light and/or vibration alarms to warn them of the removal of the concrete trayed food using an alphanumeric code indicated on the display of the portable device.

In the event that auxiliary cameras have been installed in the exhibition area that will be in wireless or wired communication with the controller, it can be determined in the kitchen without having to go to the vicinity of the controller interface. Additionally, another advantageous aspect of the method described in this invention is that, if there is no coexistence in the selection of the processed food with a greater coincidence of percentages of stored generic foods, the user, through manual selection in the user interface, establishes the container tray stored in the controller. Due to this advantage, each new generic food used in the kitchen can be registered and stored through manual selection in the user interface by the user for subsequent learning of the Artificial Intelligence software module.

Drawings and references

To better understand the nature of the invention, in the attached drawings an arrangement is presented that is a merely illustrative and non-limiting example.

Figure 1 shows an elevation view of the desktop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of processed food in trays (1) which consists of a scale (2) where the processed food in trays (4c.5) rests and is observed; the processed food (4c.6) with its container tray (4c.7), an acoustic alarm (8a), a camera (3) for capturing the image of each processed food tray (3a), both being in communication with a controller (4) that consists of an identification code reader (4a), a user interface (4b) that shows a visual scale (4b.1) (which consists of the display of the position (4b.1.a) indicator of the position of the exposure area (6) and the flashing alarm (4b.1.b)) indicating by means of a plurality of images of each processed food tray (3a) simultaneously, the exposure time (4c.14) of each processed food tray (4c.5), and the controller (4) being in communication with a tag printer (5).

Figure 2 shows an elevation view of the processed food in a tray (4c.5) with the processed food (4c.6) and with its container tray (4c.7), in which an identification tag (5a) is placed that includes a identification code (5a.1) with the visible alphanumeric code (5a.2) of each packaged processed food (4c.5) and which is assigned by the controller (4).

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an exhibition area (6) consisting of; different stands (6d) with cold display areas (6a), hot display areas (6b) and areas of room temperature or non-intolerant product (6c) in which different processed foods are placed in trays (4c.5) according to their health and appearance requirements, and auxiliary cameras (6e) for the kitchen visualization of each position in the exhibitor area (6d) together with auxiliary acoustic alarms (8c), and in communication with a portable device (7) of the employee in room consisting of an acoustic alarm (7a), a light alarm (7b) and a vibrator (7c).

Figure 4 shows a diagram with the different stages of the method for the use of the tabletop weighing and discrimination machine for a plurality of packaged processed foods (1) for simultaneous use in exhibition areas (6). Figure 5 shows an elevation view of the user interface (4b) of the controller (4) of the desktop weighing and discrimination machine for a plurality of packaged processed foods (1) showing a visual scale (4b.1) (which It consists of the visualization of the stall (4b.1.a) indicator of the stall of the exhibition area (6)) indicator through a plurality of images of each processed food tray (3a) simultaneously. In addition, the additional information required by the user is shown by selecting the image of the packaged processed food (3a) (healthy time of the processed food (4c.11) and processing time (4c.12), consumption time (4c.13 ) and exposure time of the packaged processed food (4c.14)). In this specific case, the user requests additional information about the processed food in which the flashing alarm (4b.1.b) is activated.

The following references are indicated in these figures:

1. - Desktop weighing and discrimination machine for a plurality of packaged processed foods

2.-Scale

2a.-Weight of the packaged processed food

3. -Camera

3a.-Image of packaged processed food

3b.-Simplified image of packaged processed food

3c.-Image of the scale

3d.-Simplified image of the scale

4. -Controller

4a.-Identification code reader

4b.-User interface

4b.1.-Visual scale of plurality of packaged processed foods

4b.1.a.-Visualization of the position

4b.1.b.-Flicker alarm

4c.-Artificial Intelligence software module

4c.1.-Characteristics and patterns

4c.2.-Percentages of generic foods extracted

4c.3.-Percentages of stored generic foods

4c.4.-Area of changes

4c.5.-Packaged processed food

4c.6.-Processed food

4c.7.-Container tray

4c.8.-Output weight of processed food

4c.9.-Weight of the container tray

4c.10.-Return weight of processed food

4c.11.-Healthiness time of processed food

4c.12.-Production time of packaged processed food 4c.13.-Consumption time of packaged processed food 4c.14.-Exhibition time of packaged processed food 5.-Tag printer

5a.-Identification tag

5a.1.-Identifying code for processed food, container tray and packaged processed food.

5a.2.-Visible alphanumeric code

6. -Exhibition area

6a.-Exhibitor cold area

6b.-Exhibitor hot area

6c.-Ambient temperature area or non-intolerant product

6d.-Exhibitor area position

6e.-Auxiliary chamber

7. -Portable device

7a.-Acoustic alarm of the portable device

7b.-Light alarm of the portable device

7c.-Portable device vibrator

8. -Alarms

8a.-Controller acoustic alarm

8b.-Controller light alarm

8c.-Auxiliary acoustic alarm

Presentation of a preferred embodiment

In relation to the drawings and references listed above, the attached drawings illustrate a preferred mode of execution of the object of the invention referring to a tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods (1) for simultaneous use in exhibition areas (6), which includes; a scale (2), an acoustic alarm (8a), a camera (3) that captures the image of each packaged processed food (3a), both being in communication with a controller (4) that consists of an identification code reader ( 4a), a user interface (4b) and an Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) configured to receive the image of each packaged processed food (3a) captured from the camera (3) and automatically recognize; each processed food (4c.6), its container tray (4c.7), calculate the output weight of the processed food (4c.8), the weight of each container tray (4c.9), the sanitation time (4c. .11) of each processed food (4c.6) and the preparation time (4.c.13), the consumption time (4c.13) and the exposure time (4c.14) of each packaged processed food ( 4c.5) and the return weight of the processed food (4c.10), and the controller (4) being in communication with a tag printer (5) that prints each identification tag (5a) that includes an identification code (5a .1) with the visible alphanumeric code (5a.2) of each packaged processed food (4c.5) and which is assigned by the controller (4).

By way of illustrative example, both the machine (1) of the present invention (represented in Figure 1) and the procedure (represented in the diagram of Figure 4) for the use of the desktop weighing and weighing machine will be described below. discrimination of plurality of processed foods packaged (1) for simultaneous use in exhibition areas (6) containing; a scale (2), an acoustic alarm (8a), a camera (3), a controller (4), an identification code reader (4a), a user interface (4b), an Artificial Intelligence software module (4c ) and a tag printer (5). To do this, a mirrored display area (6), one of those commonly used, will be taken as a purely illustrative example, which consists of a duplicated display area (6), represented in Figure 3, in which various processed foods will be available. trayed (4c.5) simultaneously and located in two buffets or display areas (6) in parallel or almost twin in which they exist; the cold display area (6a) that will contain; a processed food (4c.6) of raw oysters, the hot display area (6b) that will contain spaghetti bolognese and the room temperature or non-intolerant product area of a processed processed food (4c.5) that will be gluten-free whole wheat bread.

After the processing, preparation and/or regeneration in the kitchen of the raw material and/or products in this case, spaghetti Bolognese, the kitchen employee transfers them to the tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of processed foods (1 ) and begins, as can be seen in Figure 4, capturing, using the camera (3), the image of the processed food in a tray (3a) (Figure 1). Once captured, the image of the scale (3c) is captured and then the controller (4) eliminates, by means of reduction, the small variations caused by brightness or shadows to achieve greater clarity of the images of the packaged spaghetti bolognese or packaged processed food (4c.5). After the simplification of images, which makes it easier to carry out the next substage of the method represented in Figure 4, saving computational cost and avoiding comparison errors, the controller (4) compares the simplified image of the scale (3D) pixel by pixel. ) with the image of the spaghetti bolognese or packaged processed food (4c.5) and the calculation and selection of the area of changes is carried out (4c.4) where modifications have been produced, which is transferred to the Artificial Intelligence software module ( 4c) for feature and pattern extraction (4c.1). That is, the characteristics and patterns (4c.1) are extracted from the database or history of the controller (4) of the spaghetti bolognese as they are; individual pieces of food with little width and great length, reddish color, small sized brown elements with a spherical shape, etc. The Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) converts these characteristics and patterns (4c.1) into percentages of generic foods extracted (4c.2) at another time of use. Thus, the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) recognizes that the packaged processed food (4c.5), in this case, spaghetti bolognese, contains spaghetti, tomato sauce and minced/chopped meat and carrot. After the extraction and conversion of this information, the percentages of generic foods extracted (4c.2) are compared with percentages of generic foods stored (4c.3) in previous surveys (spaghetti carbonara, Caesar salad, chuck in sauce, etc.) for the automatic selection of the stored generic food (4c.3) of characteristics and patterns (4c.1) of greatest coincidence. With all the work carried out and processed automatically by the Artificial Intelligence software module, it is identified that the packaged processed food (4c.5) is spaghetti bolognese. If there is no coexistence in the selection of the processed food (4c.5) with a greater coincidence of percentages of stored generic foods (4c.3) since spaghetti bolognese has never been cooked, the user will alternatively use manual selection in the interface. User (4b) sets the processed food (4c.6) and stores it in the controller (4). Thanks to this, it is achieved that each new generic food used in the kitchen can be registered and stored through manual selection in the user interface (4b) by the user for subsequent learning of the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c). To achieve the necessary agility in the kitchen, the almost automation of the control process of the container trays (4c.7) and eliminate the need for manual selection of each container tray (4c.7), as well as achieve optimal traceability of the entire process, and an anticipation of the need to prepare food; The controller (4) of the present invention consists of a user interface (4b), as seen in Figure 1, configured to display a visual scale (4b.1) indicating a plurality of images of each packaged processed food ( 3a), the visible alphanumeric code (5a.2), indicator of the position (6d) of the exhibition area (6), the time to elapse for the return weight of the processed food (4c.10) to be equal to 0 and the preparation time of packaged processed food (4c.12). Additionally, the information visible in the user interface (4b) can be customizable by the user, including, for example, delivery times for each packaged processed food (4c.5) so that in the case of a food inspection the kitchen operator can give the output information of the processed food (4c.6). In any case, more information can be obtained, if required by the user, as seen in Figure 5, by activating on each visual scale (4b.1) the image of packaged processed food (3a), which may be these data; healthiness time (4c.11), preparation time (4c.12), consumption time (4c.13), exposure time (4c.14), among others. In this case, the user has requested additional information about the packaged processed food (4c.5) in which the flashing alarm (4b.1.b) has been activated, that is, spaghetti bolognese. Thus, with a single glance at the user interface (4b) represented in Figure 1, the user (4b) can determine; the type of packaged processed food (4c.5) and its containing tray (4c.7), the preparation time (4c.12) and the remaining exposure time (4c.14) of the packaged processed food (4c.5) , allowing the kitchen to know the status of a plurality of packaged processed foods (4c.5) simultaneously, in addition to guaranteeing a continuous food service throughout the entire service and the establishment of a preventive supply plan without need of producing excess products and a correct removal of container trays (4c.7) that exceed their shelf life (4c.11) and/or have already been consumed, since it makes it easier for the kitchen employee to know the situation of each container tray (4c.7) observing its position in the room on the user interface (4b).

Once it is automatically selected that the processed food (4c.6) is, in this example, packaged spaghetti bolognese, these are weighed using the scale (2) so that the weight determination is then automated. of the food (4c.8) and the specific container tray (4c.9) used. In this case it is determined that it is a gastronom that allows 1 kg of product to be incorporated and weighs 200 grams. To do this, the automatic recognition of the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the controller (4) identifies the container tray (4c.7) used, also calculating the output weight of the processed food (4c.8) (spaghetti bolognese). and the weight of the container tray (4c.9) subtracting the weight of the container tray (4c.9) from the weight of the trayed spaghetti bolognese. This avoids weighing the food first and then the container tray (4c.7). Next, the automatic assignment of the most optimal position in the display area (6d) is carried out in an agile manner based on the characteristics of the spaghetti bolognese by the controller (4), who assigns the hot display area (6b ) and to have an automated record of the times that influence this method, the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c), assigns the processed food in trays (4c.5), the healthiness time (4c.11) depending on the area exposure (6) and the specific food and diner in question. In this case, it will be assigned 4 hours because it is a food that does not lose its appearance easily and because the setting is a spaghetti bolognese buffet in a restaurant, it will also be assigned the preparation time (4c.12) determining 15 minutes, and the consumption time (4c.13) depending on the weight of the food and preset parameters of influx that is set at 2 and a half hours, in addition to recording the time at which the processed food (4c.6) (spaghetti at the bolognese) leaves the kitchen to be transferred to the assigned position, and thus the identification tag (5a) is printed using the tag printer (5) (figure 1), which contains the identification code with the visible alphanumeric code (5a. 2) assigned and indicative of the position in the exhibitor area (6d).

With all this information, the identification tag (5a) is printed and incorporated into the packaged processed food (4c.5), as seen in Figure 2, so that a room employee can then place the spaghetti Bolognese in the exhibition area (6) at the assigned exhibitor area position (6b); in this case hot area. This identification tag (5a) will contain the visible alphanumeric code (5a.2) “1A” along with the barcode, QR or RFID to indicate to the room employee to take the packaged spaghetti to the hot display area (6b) of the exhibition area (6), as seen in figure 3. This prevents the placement of spaghetti bolognese or packaged processed food (4c.5) in display areas (6) with non-corresponding or incorrect conditions for that processed food (4c.6), such as, in this example, it would be the cold display area (6a) or the room temperature or non-intolerant product area (6c), which have different temperature and/or humidity conditions that would influence their health or appearance.

Simultaneously with the exposure of the spaghetti bolognese in the exhibition area (6), as seen in figure 3, other processed foods in trays are also exposed (4c.5), such as raw oysters arranged in the area. cold display (6a) in ceramic trays weighing 2 kg and with a capacity of 300 grams of raw oysters to which 2 hours of sanitation time has been assigned by the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c.11) , 10 minutes of preparation time (4c.12) and 1 hour of consumption time (4c.13), as well as there is gluten-free whole wheat bread in the area of room temperature or of non-intolerant product (6c) in trays of wicker weighing 100 grams and with capacity for 500 grams of gluten-free whole wheat bread to which according to the method described has been assigned 1 hour of sanitation time (4c.11) for drying very quickly, 5 minutes of preparation time (4c.12) and half an hour of consumption time (4c.13), among others. When the controller (4) registers that the exposure time (4c.14) of, for example, raw oysters is equal to zero, that is, the shortest time between the consumption time (4c.13) and the healthiness (4c.11) and subtracting the preparation time (4c.12), the acoustic alarm (8a) of the controller (4) and the flashing alarm (4b.1.b) of the user interface (4) will be activated. alerting the room employee to remove the tray containing the raw oysters from his position in the display area (6d), in this case, the cold display area (6a) for subsequent return to the tabletop weighing and discrimination machine ( 1), thus obtaining the removal on time and without error in the choice between numerous existing container trays (4c.7) such as those for spaghetti, bread, etc. in the exhibition area (6) and to avoid ingestion by the diners of the same in the process of deterioration or poor appearance due to drying earlier, or because the container tray (4c.7) is running out of raw oysters and may cause discomfort in the diners due to the absence of these. This ensures that at all times in the exhibition area (6) there are raw oysters or other dishes that are sufficient and good looking, as well as correctly healthy for consumption. To facilitate good direct communication during the operational service, even with a shortage of staff in the room, and guaranteeing continuous attention to the diners, supply in the exhibition area (6) at all times, the controller (4) is in communication with a portable device (7), as seen in Figure 3, which consists of an acoustic alarm (7a), a light alarm (7b) and a vibrator (7c). This ensures that the room staff, without leaving their workplace, is in continuous communication with the controller (4) without having to travel to it. That is, through an acoustic and visual stimulus, the removal and replacement of the container tray (4c.7) is achieved quickly and efficiently, avoiding food shortages in the exhibition area, guaranteeing their correct appearance and healthiness. , even for the most delicate products and optimizing workflow times throughout the service.

With the times previously assigned to the different foods; spaghetti bolognese, raw oysters and processed gluten-free whole grain bread in trays (4c.5) displayed simultaneously in the exhibition area (6) and after calculating the exposure time (4c.14), the Intelligence software module Artificial has determined that gluten-free whole wheat bread is the packaged processed food (4c.5) with the shortest exposure time (4c.14) with a value of 25 minutes coming from the subtraction of its consumption time (4c.13), 30 minutes, minus its preparation time (4c.12), 5 minutes, followed by the raw oysters with a value of 50 minutes and finally the spaghetti bolognese with 2 hours and 30 minutes. In this case, the food that should be removed is gluten-free whole wheat bread, however, as the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) also takes into account the kitchen exit time of the packaged processed food (4c.5), The flashing alarm (4b.1.b) of the user interface (4b), as shown in Figure 1, indicates the first removal of the processed food (4c.6) whose container tray (4c.7) has the identification tag (5a) with the visible alphanumeric code (5a.2) “1A”, that is, the spaghetti bolognese located in the hot display area (6b) will be removed from the specific container trays (4c.7) gastronom because this processed food (4c.6) was taken out of the kitchen long before raw oysters and gluten-free whole wheat bread. This flashing alarm (4b.1.b) of the user interface (4b) will indicate that the spaghetti bolognese is going to run out in the near future, so it is necessary to start making more product so that when the supplies run out They can be replaced instantly. In the user interface (4b) the specific remaining processing time will be observed. If the employee in the room is alerted by the portable device (7), or the flashing alarm (4b.1.b) or the acoustic alarm (8a) of the controller (4) of the end of the exposure time (4c.14) of the packaged spaghetti bolognese because, for example, the loss of healthiness or deterioration of the same has been detected because it is expected to end shortly, this or returns the correct container tray (4c.7), that is, the gastronom together with the spaghetti bolognese or in the kitchen they will produce more product depending on the expected influx, what is guaranteed is that the container tray (4c.7) of the raw oysters or the container tray (4c.7) is not removed incorrectly. .7) gluten-free whole wheat bread. Once the container tray (4c.7) of spaghetti bolognese is in the kitchen, the identification tag (5a) is read and the automatic selection of the container tray (4c.7) is achieved for replacement and the weight calculation. return of the processed food (4c.10), since the specific container tray (4c.7) used and its initial output weight of the food (4c.8) have been registered in the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) and The time of return to the kitchen is recorded. Placing the packaged processed food (4c.5) (spaghetti bolognese) on the scale (2), the identification code reader (4a) of the controller (4) reads the identification tag (5a) and automatically saves that record. for self-learning of the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) in relation to consumption times (4c.13), exposure times (4c.14), etc., allowing the return of packaged processed food in each operation (4c.5) that the neural network of Artificial Intelligence feeds its information and learns about different scenarios and possibilities. On the other hand, thanks to the portable device (7) also in communication with the interior of the kitchen, the appearance, quantity or weight of the food can be observed and the processed food (4c) can be automatically recognized by the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c. 6) and its container tray (4c.7), based on the image captured by auxiliary cameras (6e) at each moment and throughout the meal service without moving the container tray (4c.7) to the kitchen, thus getting to know at all times in the kitchen the state of the spaghetti bolognese, in this example, the raw oysters and the gluten-free whole wheat bread located simultaneously in the different and independent positions in the display area (6d), as seen in figure 3 , in addition to being able to indicate by means of the auxiliary acoustic alarm (8c) of the auxiliary chambers (6e) the need to remove the container trays (4c.7), obtaining greater agility throughout the service and being of special interest on surfaces of restoration with few workers. With the incorporation of this auxiliary camera (8c) it is achieved that the consumption time data (4c.14) stored in the history or database of the controller (4) is continuously updated, thus obtaining continuous and more precise learning. by the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c). This corrective process is due to the auxiliary camera (8c) recording the amount of processed food (4c.6) remaining in each container tray (4c.7) displayed in each position of the display area (6e). With this, a more accurate forecast is achieved of when the processed food will run out (4c.6) for preparation and replacement sooner. This is thanks to the fact that the auxiliary camera (6e) is located in the exhibition area (6) on at least one position in the exhibitor area (6d) and in communication (based on Bluetooth, Wifi, RFID, etc., or through direct wiring between the auxiliary chamber (6e) and the auxiliary acoustic alarm (8c) and the exhibitor area stand (6d)) with at least one auxiliary acoustic alarm (8c) of the exhibition area (6).

Variations in materials, shape, size and arrangement of the component elements, described in a non-limiting manner, do not alter the essentiality of this invention, and this is sufficient to proceed with its reproduction by an expert.

Claims (1)

1a-A method for the use of a tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods (1) for simultaneous use in exhibition areas (6) containing; a scale (2), an acoustic alarm (8a), a camera (3), a controller (4), an identification code reader (4a), a user interface (4b) that has a flashing alarm (4b. 1.b), an Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) and a tag printer (5), the method comprising the following stages: - Capture of the image of the processed food in a tray (3a) on the scale (2) by the camera (3). - Automatic recognition through the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the controller (4) of the processed food (4c.6). - Automatic selection using the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the processed food (4c.6) with the greatest coincidence of percentages of stored generic foods (4c.3). - If there is no coexistence in the selection of the processed food (4c.6) with a greater coincidence of percentages of stored generic foods (4c.3), the user, through manual selection in the user interface (4b) establishes the container tray (4c. .7) stored in the controller (4). - Weighing the processed food in trays (4c.5) using the scale (2). - Automatic selection using the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the container tray (4c.7). - Calculation using the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the output weight of the processed food (4c.8) and the weight of the container tray (4c.9). - Assignment through the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the healthiness time (4c.11) of the processed food (4c.6) and registration of the time. - Allocation using the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the consumption time (4c.13), processing time (4c.12) and exposure time (4c.14) of the packaged processed food (4c.5). - Assignment using the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the visible alphanumeric code (5a.2) of the position in the exhibitor area (6d). - Printing of the identification tag (5a) container of the identification code of processed food, container tray and packaged processed food (5a.1) with the visible alphanumeric code (5a.2) indicative of the position in the exhibitor area (6d) using the tag printer (5). - Incorporation of the identification tag (5a) to the packaged processed food (4c.5). - Placing the processed processed food in a tray (4c.5) in the exhibition area (6) in the assigned position in the display area (6d). - Activation of the acoustic alarm (8a) of the controller (4) and the flashing alarm (4b.1.b) of the user interface (4b) when the exposure time (4c.14) of the processed food in the tray (4c. 5) is equal to 0. - Return of the packaged processed food (4c.5) to the desktop weighing and discrimination machine (1). 2a- A method for the use of a tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods (1) for simultaneous use in exhibition areas (6) according to claim 1a, characterized in that the stage of recognition of the processed food ( 4c.6) and its containing tray (4c.7) by the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of the controller (4) has the following substages: - Capture of the image of the scale (3c) by the camera (3). - Simplification by reducing the size of the image of the scale (3c) and the image of the packaged processed food (3a). - Pixel-by-pixel comparison of the simplified image of the scale (3c) with the simplified image of the packaged processed food (3a). - Calculation and selection of the change area (4c.4) where modifications have occurred. - Transfer of the changes area (4c.4) to the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c). - Extraction of characteristics and patterns (4c.1) and conversion to percentages of extracted generic foods (4c.2). - Comparison of the percentages of extracted generic foods (4c.2) with percentages of stored generic foods (4c.3). - Automatic selection of the stored generic food (4c.3). 3a- A method for using the tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods (1) for simultaneous use in exhibition areas (6) according to claim 1a, comprising the stage of returning the packaged processed food ( 4c.5) to the desktop weighing and discrimination machine (1) of the method the following substeps: - Placing the processed food in a tray (4c.5) on the scale (2). - Reading of its identification tag (5a) and selection of the container tray (4c.7) and calculation of the return weight of the processed food (4c.10). - Time registration 4a- A method for the use of a tabletop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of packaged processed foods (1) for simultaneous use in exhibition areas (6) according to the previous claims, characterized in that the consumption time of the packaged processed food (4c.13) is calculated by the Artificial Intelligence software module (4c) of each packaged processed food (4c.5) in relation; to the subtraction of the exit weight (4c.8) and the return weight of the processed food (4c.10) and the time elapsed from its departure from the kitchen to the exhibition area (6) until the food is returned to the kitchen. 5a- A method for the use of a desktop machine for weighing and discriminating a plurality of processed food trays (1) simultaneously according to the previous claims, characterized in that the exposure time of the processed food tray (4c.14) is calculated by the module Artificial Intelligence software (4c) selecting the shortest time between the consumption time (4c.13) and the healthiness time (4c.11) of the processed food (4c.5) and subtracting the processing time (4c. 12) of each packaged processed food (4c.8).